The Half-Knots
by T. F. Mordekai
Summary: This is a story about a hobgoblin, a half-ogre and a kobold. The three unlikely companions team up and sail through thousands of islands in pursuit of one man; the Kingwitch, a powerful magi capable of changing the fates of others. Will they find him and use his power, or will they be used themselves? Review please :D
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The town burned. The lives and loves of a thousand people burned. The friends and family that had existed unspoiled for eleven generations burned. Everything burned, but the stranger. There he stood in the collapsed ruins of a once beautiful fountain, the center of town. Long had he searched for the Keystone, that which may let his power truly flow unchecked. "A pity," he said to himself, "I loved the wine they made here. Why can't people just cooperate?" Walking across the fire-lit fountain square he idly stepped over the burning, mangled corpses of the town residents.

The stranger's echoing booted steps finally came to rest at the steps to the meager cathedral. His intense green eyes gazed pityingly down at the battered form of the stunningly beautiful elf garbed in a bloodstained white gown. "Did I not tell you that this town should have been built of stone and iron, and that wood could only lead to fires? But then again Sacera, you never listened to my sage advice. You know I have the power to undo all of this, to set right this small hamlet which you love so much."

Even in the night, he could see her familiar features clearly. Silent rage and pain burned behind the eyes of the elf mage, tears running down her ash stained face. "You will never find the Keystone, monster. I have broken it, scattered the pieces across this mortal plane. Even should you discover their locations, I will be there to protect it." He could see that clearly she was forcing the words through her broken jaw, a small twinge of admiration stirred somewhere deep within him. "Just know Sacera, you force my hand. Someday I will undo all of this pain and we will be together once more," the stranger said with a sigh of regret. His palms began to glow with an unearthly green light and as he clenched his fists it grew to a blinding light. He reached down and slammed both fists into the stomach of the elf. He felt the burning, the hollow that filled her stomach and as he looked into her azure eyes they faded to grey and he knew it was done. He looked off into the distance; the sun was rising over the destruction he had wrought. He set off towards that sun, taking it as an omen of things to pass. There was much work to be done and none would stand in the way of the Kingwitch.


	2. Chapter 1

**1**

The sun was rising as the ship crashed through wave after wave, its contents shifting lazily to and fro in the depths of its bowels. The passengers of the ship steered clear of the three odd creatures leaning against the rail of the ship's bow. The largest of the three, a shirtless behemoth of a man scratched his hulking head and asked the others, "So…. Uhhhh….. Where we go now?"

Looking up through hooded eyes at his not so bright companion, the hobgoblin shook his head at the half-ogre, "For the last time, Barabas, we are headed for the island of Fathrington. We spent our last few silvers drastically overpaying that information broker on the last island to even find out about this opportunity. Finally, we're so close to finding the Kingwitch. Drazheen, are your spells prepared? We know not what we will encounter in his lair."

Waking from a light nap on top of a loosely fastened water barrel, the miniature Kobold grumbled and stretched, his finery shifting over his scaly limbs. "I'm as prepared as I need be, _Master _Karlo" said Drazheen with a sneer. "And I don't much appreciate you spending _my_ money on folly and rumors." Karlo's orange eyes blazed under the cover of his hood. The wind billowing his serape died down suddenly, almost as if cowing under the intensity of his gaze. "It was _our _money Drazheen, lest you truly believe you could have felled a giant on your own miserable prowess." The ornery little druid stood up on his water barrel to meet the hobgoblins gaze. Noses almost touching, the staring contest was building to a climax when suddenly; the two were lifted off their feet and left dangling under the two massive arms of their friend. "No fight!" he roared at them, spittle flying from his mouth to cover the two. "Be friends!" he exclaimed as he unceremoniously dropped them. "Pretty rocks!" Barabas grinned and pointed out to the sea in front of them. Off in the distance they spotted a flat and wide island.

Drazheen, clambering to his feet said, "You giant oaf. That's not a rock, it's an isla-."  
He was cut short by a racking jolt in the ship's movement and the loud crunch of timbers breaking. "What in the name of all seas and beasts was that?!" cried Karlo. Somewhere deep within the ship loud bells were being rung. A small woman passing by shouted, "Grab your bags and get off your guffs! We're taking on water!" Karlo peered over the ship's railing to see what had struck them. With instant terror he spotted what Barabas had so admired. The reef's colorful boughs and ridges had gone unspotted due to the new day's sun shimmering on the surface of the water.

"Our stuff!" shouted Barabas. The three hurriedly sped down the stairs to gather their gear from their over cramped closet of a room. Water began trickling in through their doorway as they began to exit the cabin. The three burst onto the deck to find the ship keeling over. Roughly two dozen people sped towards land in two rowboats; a sad amount considering the ship carried five boats total. Several more people floated aimlessly in the water; some alive, others not so fortunate. Seeing their footing slide away from them quickly, Karlo pointed to the last rowboat above water roped vertically to a mast. "Get that quickly before it sinks!"

Drazheen huffed, "Do this, do that. Jeesh." He muttered an incantation and his form began to shift to that of a beaver. He headed straight for the thick rope holding the boat in place. Barabas hefted his imposing greatsword and smiling shouted, "I'll help!" as he bound towards the mast. With a roar he swung his blade and cleaved the boat in two, lodging his blade halfway through the mast. With a moan, Karlo palmed his face shook his head. He walked to the mast to help his large friend retrieve his blade. Even as a beaver, Drazheen's irritation showed in his eyes. He quickly began to chew at the other half of the mast. The impressive weight of the mast gave way and with a loud cracking the great shaft fell into the ocean. The ship descended below the waves, and the three desperately clung to the mast lest they be pulled down with the ship. After a few long moments, the ship was gone and the three travelers had a moment of peace. Barabas laughed, "This much better! No rowing now!" Karlo peered off at the island. "With luck, we will float to shore within the hour." Drazheen climbed aboard the mast, his body changing back to that of a Kobold. His small form was just enough to sit comfortably aboard the wood. "Fine by me, long as I make it there safely" he taunted petulantly down at the others as the warm sun already began to dry him. Karlo looked to the distant island, "With luck we're the only big things swimming out here. It's going to be a long hour."


	3. Chapter 2

**2**

Nearly three hours later they crawled to shore miserable and thoroughly soggy. Barabas hefted his newly won trophy, the massive gaping head of a dire shark. "Big fish make good hat soon." Drazheen spat, "A hat?! You sacrificed our means of transportation for a new hat?!" The delighted half-ogre looked at him quizzically, "Sleeping fish make better to clean cut." Once again Karlo was amazed at the feats of strength of his large friend. Then again, wielding a ship's mast as a weapon was not the most surprising thing he had seen thus far on their journey. He recalled when he had first seen Barabas. _The mighty fighter covered in gore and blood, the crowd shouting and cheering. Had Karlo not seen it himself he would not have believed it. The half-ogre had used his own protruding and broken arm bone to finish off the manticore. He had skewered the beast's throat and thrown it's corpse half way across the arena. Karlo had heard rumor of a great beast to be put to death today, and now seeing the scene before him he questioned whether they had meant the weaponless warrior or the manticore as he had originally thought. _He was snapped from his reverie by a shout from nearby. Drazheen had discovered a trail of footsteps not far down the beach, and drag marks from what he guessed would be the rowboats. The three followed the trail away from the beach and into a humid forest.

Soon they found themselves on a manmade road. The temperate island was quite warm and the tunnel of overhanging tree branches did little to relieve the humidity along the road. Finally they found a small clearing where the roof of branches let a breeze of fresh air and a beam of solid light down into the road. Exhausted and still wet, they broke for lunch and dried themselves under the sunlit boughs of the birch trees. Most of their wares and provisions were wet or ruined, save for some apples Karlo had pocketed from the stores of the ship. They sufficed for a small lunch albeit with a slightly salty aftertaste after the long soak in the sea. Barabas set aside his now stinking shark head and began removing sharks teeth that had become embedded in his thick skin during the fight. Drazheen began to play with a slowly growing swarm of forest beetles, his affinity for creatures rather than people visible on the giddy swishing of his tail. Karlo's face softened as he remembered the kobold's redeeming qualities. He laid out their goods and took inventory of what had been lost. Their group fund of gold had disappeared with the ship it appeared, though he suspected that Drazheen still had a private stash somewhere. Finally after throwing out soggy bread and ruined meat, he concluded that most of their possessions were more or less intact and that very little had been lost. Barabas handed Karlo a pile of bloody teeth and asked, "Which way next?" Karlo consulted the map he had slowly been piecing together in his head, "I suggest we head for the North side of the island. Had there been a town on this side of the island we would have seen a dock or more evidence of civilization. Let us follow this trail to those who built it." They packed up their now dry gear and set off North on the small dirt road.

Oft did they find a fallen tree yet to be cleared from the road, though Barabas' sword made quick work of the obstacles. The sun was low in the sky by the time the road grew more stable and they rounded a bend in the road to find a large clearing with a vastly wide 10 foot tall wooden wall. Atop the wall they spotted two sentries leaning on long pikes, a two door gate between and below them. With a sigh Karlo donned his cowl once more, hiding his hobgoblin features. "Alright you both know the drill" he said to the others. With a snort of derision Drazheen muttered an incantation and his form shifted to that of a small orange cat. Barabas licked his palm and combed down his wild tuft of hair atop his large head. They slowly walked out of the cover of trees and into the clearing. Only when they came within a sprint's length of the gate did the sentries seem to notice them. "Halt! What be your business here?" called the nearer of the two. Karlo eyed the two pikemen from the ground. He knew they could just as easily skewer them with those pikes as turn round to raise an alarm. Clearing his throat; he shouted up to the men, "Hullo there! We are but weary travellers! Our ship crashed upon the southern reef! Our friends are either drowned or have sought refuge somewhere on this island! Pray do you have some small room to spare for our unfortunate souls?" He clasped his hands together beseechingly. Barabas hastily mimicked the pleading hands. "Oy! Wait there ye strangers!" shouted down the closer and superior of the two men. He turned and muttered something to the other guard and turned and descended the back side of the wall and out of view.

Several awkward minutes later the gates creaked open and five guards hustled out, each laden with pikes and short swords. A balding older man with a white handlebar mustache walked ahead of the others. He extended his hand to Karlo, "I am Captain Halsen. Pleased to meet you mister…?" Karlo hastily gripped the human's hand and shook it vigorously, "I am Karlo, and this is my friend Barabas. Thank you so much for meeting us!" he oozed enthusiasm and friendliness. Drazheen hissed at Karlo and clawed his way to the hobgoblin's shoulder. The captain eyed the cloaked Karlo suspiciously and stared in awe at the height and girth of Barabas. He slowly nodded his head, "Well if you can stay out of trouble and keep to your own, you're welcome to stay in town. Know that if you cause any grief in town you'll have me to deal with. Though the people of Fathrington may rest at ease, the law is ever vigilant here." Karlo swallowed deep and nodded grimly. The captain turned and gestured through the gates, "Here, let me show you where you can stay for the night." The small party walked through the gates as they creaked closed behind them and were locked. The group walked through town, humans and several dwarves eyeing them suspiciously. Many houses with thatched roofs and smoking chimney's filled the small town, each looking the same as the next to Barabas' eyes. Karlo carefully began mapping the town in his head. Finally; the captain brought them to a small rundown inn and said, "Apologies, but the rest of the ship's passengers have already resumed the finer lodgings. This is the best we have to offer I'm afraid. Well, good day gentlemen! I've much to do." "Thank you so much captain" Said Karlo with a flamboyant wave. He then turned round and muttered, "By all the gold in the sea I do hate kissing arse."

Barabas looked at the door to the inn questioningly and scratched his head. "It's ok Bary, you can stand guard outside and I'll get us a room." Karlo and Drazheen strode towards the entrance. Drazheen purred contentedly in the warm evening sun. The door was half ajar when Karlo pushed it slowly open. Inside was a small elderly dwarven woman sleeping in a rocking chair behind a low dusty countertop. _Shit. If she spots my goblin features; we're done for, damned dwarves. _He walked up to the counter and cleared his throat loudly. The dwarven woman snored and her beehive hairdo shifted around as the chair rocked to and fro, but still she did not wake. He rapped his knuckles on the countertop and said, "Excuse me ma'am." Still she did not rouse from her sleep. He shook his head and was turning to leave when his step quietly creaked on a loose floorboard. The woman snapped awake with a jolt. "Who's there? Is anybody there? That'd better not be you kids sneaking in here again!" Karlo stood still as a rock. He slowly and quietly turned around. The woman peered all around the room but seemed not to see him standing but two feet from her. He grinned deviously when he realized the old woman's eyes were cloudy white. She was clearly blind. He slowly began to sneak around the counter to the row of keys behind her. He stretched out a grey calloused hand when suddenly Drazheen let out a dramatically loud "MEEEOOWWWWW." The woman turned right towards the rogue, "Oh a kitten! Come here little kitten. I'll take such good care of you." Her old stubby fingers stretched out to the ground. Karlo grabbed Drazheen by the scruff of his fur and glared at him with a most murderous glare. He then started grinning. Putting on his best acting voice; he said, "Oh I'm so sorry to worry you ma'am. I am but a weary traveler seeking a room for the night. My deepest apologies that my cat woke you from your rest. Please pet him if you wish, for he loves affection." He handed the cat-kobold to the dwarf and took much pleasure in the struggling and sorrowful look the cat gave him then. "His name is Fluffles and he loves women, especially wise and beautiful ones such as yourself." She greedily took Drazheen into her lap, ignoring his protests. "Oh young man but you are such a flatterer, and it will get you everywhere" she laughed hoarsely. My name is Peggy and this is my inn, the Broken Wave. Karlo looked around at the dusty lobby and mistreated furniture. It obviously had gone long neglected and was in disrepair. "What a lovely little establishment you have here! We definitely came to the right place. If you have room for three, we'd greatly appreciate it." She turned her head at an angle. "Three of you? But surely you and Fluffles don't require that much room. Besides, I'm all booked up for the week in my three bed rooms." He gazed behind her at the key hooks labeled for three beds and truly, there were none left there. "Oh what a shame that is ma'am. We would so have loved to room in your lovely inn this night. We won't trouble you any more then. I'm sure there are some soft patches of grass out in the woods that will be reasonably comfortable." He turned to leave with exaggeratedly loud footsteps, keeping an eye on her. Her face scrunched up in emotion as she pet the squirming Drazheen and she called, "Wait! Wait Mister Karlo. I do believe I have room for three though ye may not much like it more than grass." With a victorious grin he turned to her, "Oh truly? We would be so grateful and humbled by your generosity but that we could stay here for a night. Well then, is it upstairs or down the hall?" She laughed lightly, "Well neither. Follow me."

He followed her out the front door and around the building, introducing the large Barabas along the way. They walked round to the back of the building to see her slowly fumbling with a lock on a low cellar door. She pulled open the door and a gust of moist air flowed out. "This is my storm cellar. I keep a few beds down here in case of a severe storm. It's not very comfortable but it will shelter you from the worst weather. There are four beds and blankets aplenty, candles as well. Barabas jumped up and down and cheered, "The door is big! That's good!" Peggy nodded her head, "Well then boys. Will you be paying now or when you check out?" Karlo signaled to Barabas to be silent. "We would love to pay when we leave Miss Peggy, just in case we rack up a large food bill." She clapped her hands excitedly and proclaimed, "Oh you'll love my meat pies! I'll go make some now! Make yourselves at home boys." She handed Karlo Drazheen and a key to the lock and clambered off to the entrance once more. Drazheen stretched and shifted back to his original kobold form. His clothing tussled and in disarray he hissed, "Never again Karlo, never again. I wouldn't even _have _to turn into these animals if you didn't insist that otherwise I don one of those ghoulish cloaks. Black is _not _my color." The three of them descended the short stairs into the cellar. They lit candles and set their boots and bags to the side of their beds next to the inn's barrels of dry goods and cheap wine. Drazheen asked, "Well how _do_ you intend on paying our gracious host?" Karlo grinned, "Didn't you listen Drazheen? We get to pay _tomorrow_. Sometimes in life there are the _haves _and the _have-naughts." _Barabas sat down on his too small bed and cheered, "And we's the Half-Knots!" With that they finally settled into their dank hidden room for the night.


	4. Chapter 3

**3**

"So let me get this straight. You fellers wanna work fer me fer a day? Just one day?" The farmer spat a bit of whatever strange root he was chewing to the ground at their feet. The Half-Knots had failed to come up with a plan to pay off or swindle the elderly Peggy and so they had accidentally negotiated them staying there for a week, paying at checkout of course. With not a silver to their names, they set off to earn some easy money. Drazheen had refused to take shape as a cat while in town, clearly for fear of being smothered once more, and decided to spend his day as a swallow. "Yes sir. We can do almost any task you put us to, provided it does not require specific tools or expertise" said the cloaked Karlo. "We's strong and tough! Good fighters too!" offered Barabas. The farmer laughed nasally, "Well I reckon one of ya is at least. Alright, you'll earn what you work for, strangers. Big boy here'll be movin my lumber and postin in new fences with me" he pointed to Barabas. His crooked finger swayed over to point at Karlo and Drazheen. "You and yer lil birdy there can go round up mah goats. They've gone a run off ma land and I fear they'll be eaten or too lost afore long. Bring em back here safe and sound and you'll get yer money alright." Karlo nodded and looked up to Barabas. "Now listen Barry, you go with the nice farmer for now and do whatever he says to do okay? I'll be back later to pick you up. Be a good boy." Barabas nodded confidently and said, "Barry gonna do good farming!" Karlo turned to the farmer, "Which way did your flock head?" The farmer spat his chew root once more and pointed South and West. With that Karlo and Drazheen headed off after the goats as Barabas waved a big goodbye.

As soon as they left the farmer's line of site Drazheen changed back to his natural form and stretched his limbs and tail. "Well, babysitting goats now are we? How exactly does this get us closer to the Kingwitch?" inquired the druid. Karlo; uncovering his bald head and low pointed ears, didn't bother stopping or turning to look at the kobold and answered, "Oh shut up you big baby. At least you can walk unhidden now. Besides, you love goats. They don't talk much." Drazheen shrugged and scurried to keep up with the longer limbed hobgoblin. Karlo looked to the bright sun and remembered the mishap that had brought the two together. _He and Barry had just been thrown off a fishing ship they had unsuccessfully stowed away on not two months after their first encounter. Desperate for money, they had begged their way to becoming a sideshow act at the local circus. Karlo's skill with throwing knives and dexterous acts with a whip had brought them some good tips, just barely more than what they earned from Barabas' feats of strength had reeled in. One day whilst enjoying a drink in the dimly lit local tavern a kobold barged through the door, red skinned and clearly already intoxicated. He quickly began shouting nonsense of a secret cave and the red doom that was to befall them all soon. At the time Karlo had not known that the area had been plagued by a terrific red dragon. He bought the small reptilian a half-pint and bade him tell more of this secret cave. Karlo discovered that the cave was the lair of this red dragon and that a massive bounty was placed on its head by the local magistrate. He bought the small kobold another drink, and another, until finally the little red creature slumped down in his chair and passed out. Karlo had Barabas carry the kobold over his shoulder as they went to the magistrate's office and negotiated a humble ten percent of the bounty in return for the whereabouts of the dragon's lair. The ten percent bounty was more than enough to buy them new equipment and secure passage from the island. It was late in the next day when reports of the dragon's slaying had spread through town. Though everyone cheered, the small kobold groaned and moaned and confessed that he was the great dragon's new high priest and that his whole clan had worshipped the dragon for many years. It was then that Karlo took pity on the druid; and told him the tale of a mage so powerful, he could change the fate of any creature on this plane. So it was that with little left to root him down, the kobold collected his belongings and set off with the hobgoblin and the massive half-ogre. _

Barabas scratched his behind as the farmer told him where he wanted the thick log poles moved to. Easy enough, Barabas' simple mind had no trouble understanding such a chore. He set to lifting the posts and setting them in the back of a large cart. The farmer rubbed his stubbly chin, "Well, ye keep up this fast a pace and I'll run out of work for ye." Barabas smiled at the shorter man, "What now? Eat pigs?" The farmer laughed, "I haven't eaten one of my own pigs for nigh eight years now. Better to sell them for lots and eat others bacon! Barabas laughed heartily as well. Though his understanding of economics was nil, he liked the simple farmer more than most humans thus far. The farmer mounted the cart and pulled the reins to urge his donkey forward. Seeing the beast and the cart could not bear his weight; Barabas walked alongside, his long strides having no problem with the pace. They traveled to the edge of his farmland, ridged by forest. The farmer; dismounting the cart said, "Now you're gonna be taking these posts here and hammering them into the ground all along here." He gestured across the border of his lands. He dragged and heaved a large sledgehammer from the back of the cart, grunting with the exertion. "I want you to space them the length of this hammer. Got it?" Barabas nodded. "You've made me hungry for bacon now, big boy." I'll go see if I can rummage up some for us. He smiled at the half-ogre and patted him on the back as he walked away. Barabas lifted the hammer with one strong arm as easily as a child's toy. He set one of the posts on the ground where the nice man had indicated. He brought down the hammer and drove the post straight down into the dirt up to its head. "What good post be this deep in dirt?" he asked the donkey as he puzzled over the farmer's orders. When the donkey made no reply he shrugged and moved a hammer's length down to start the next one.

It was an hour and a half before they found fresh tracks. The small herd of goats had wandered past the farmer's borders and into the outlying forest. "Great. We found the goats. What do we do now?" whispered Drazheen sarcastically. Karlo rubbed his hairless chin, "I have a plan. I need your powers though." "Oh yes _Master. _Anything for the cause" griped the druid. Karlo's jaw clenched with irritation. "I will sneak over to the opposite side of them and scare them away from me. I'll need you to change into a goat and infiltrate the herd while I cross to the other side. Do what you can to influence them to retreat to the farm." "Alright Karlo; the sooner we get this business done, the better." Karlo pulled up his hood and taking gentle barefoot steps; disappeared from Drazheen's view into the shadows of the forest. Drazheen muttered the ancient incantation he learned from his dragon teacher. His form began to elongate and his clawed fingers began to harden and combine into cloven hooves. "Baaaah. Baaaah." _I feel so stupid making animal noises all the time._ _This had better get us closer to the Kingwitch. To think, I was once a dragonpriest…_ Drazheen meandered his way to the middle of the herd. There were roughly 30 goats chomping the long grass carpeting the forest. Several goats turned to look at the newcomer and stared at him blankly, chewing cud falling from their mouths. "Baaaah" called Drazheen to them. They looked away from him back to their grass and moss. Simply waiting for Karlo's move, he decided he would taste the grass as well. _I have a goat's taste buds now after all. _He took a mouthful and chewed it thoughtfully. _It's fairly sweet, with a slightly earthy feel to it. Not bad actually._ He bent to grab another mouthful.

Karlo was in his element now. He flew through the shadows like a dark breeze; his barefoot steps making no noise on the grass and tree roots as he walked over them. His black poncho billowed around him as he jumped over a low tree root. He found himself on the other side of the herd from whence he started. He could not spot Drazheen anywhere he looked. _I'll just have to trust that he is holding up his half of the plan. _He waited thirty seconds and then stood up. He grabbed his whip from his belt, the long coil of leather feeling familiar in his calloused hand. He looked down at the old tool and grinned remembering who gave it to him. _I swore I would never use this in anger again, and I won't. _He uncoiled the whip with a gesture and walked out from the shadows. "Yah! Get on now you little sacks of meat! Yah!" he shouted with a loud thunderous crack of his whip. The herd bolted and scattered away from him like sand from a strong gust of wind.

Drazheen was enjoying his fifth mouthful of grass when his body stiffened. A horrific crack rent the air and his skull felt as if it would shatter. Just as soon as it had hit him the pain had faded. He felt a horrible urge to flee, from what he knew not. His consciousness cleared and he pieced together that the horrible sound must have been Karlo's doing. Seeing then the other goats beginning to stir and separate, he closed his eyes and focused. He felt raw desperation deep in his gut and poured that into his thoughts. _Follow me. Follow me. Follow me. Safety. Food. Safety. Food. Follow me. Follow me. _He opened his eyes to see every last goat around him staring intently at him. He urged his body forward away from the harsh noise, slowed by the effort to maintain his communication with the herd. _Follow me. Safety. Follow me. Follow me._ To his relief, the goat herd responded to his thoughts and began trotting back towards the farm. Crack! Crack! The horrible sound pierced his mind twice more. The herd's pace quickened and he found himself running along with them. He and his new friends burst from the forest, sunlight stunning him temporarily. Crack! _I hate that accursed noise. Why would anyone ever do this to such noble herd creatures? _He tramped off with the herd ever closer to the farm and their pen.

By the time Karlo and Drazheen; now in sparrow form; returned to the farmer's house, the sun was getting low in the sky. Karlo spotted the large form of Barabas sitting on the ground picking at grass roots. His head was down and his shoulder's sunken. Karlo knew at once something went wrong. "Barabas, did something bad happen?" he asked with a gentle tone. Barabas lifted his head to look at the hobgoblin. "I did job good. Farmer no give bacon. Farmer just mad Barry so strong and good." The house door creaked open as the farmer walked out. "Well well well, you get all my goats back square n' sound?" he asked from his porch. Karlo simply nodded. "Well isn't that nice" said the farmer. "Woulda been a good day o work if not for big boy here. The dumb lug decided it'd be clever to hammer every last one o my eighty-six fence posts 5 feet into the ground. Now what sorta good is a fence that's buried up to its top in dirt? NOT ONE BIT A GOOD AT ALL I TELL YA!" Karlo pieced it together and was glad for the hood of his cloak hiding his now gone pale face. "Was gonna give you boys a solid four gold each for the hard work I _thought_ I was gonna be getting. Seein now as I'll have to be digging up each o them there fence posts myself, I'm thinkin I'm due a good share o that gold back from ya. He walked up to Karlo and handed him two gold coins. "Hope you had fun with the goats. 'Bout time you be getting off to wherever you come from now boys" he dismissed them with a wave and walked back into his shabby house.

"Sorry Karlo" said Barabas with a frown. Karlo rested a hand on his sitting friend's shoulder. He grabbed his thick arm and helped him up. "That's alright Barry. There'll be other jobs." They began the walk back to the Broken Wave Inn. Barry looked at the darkening sky and asked, "Will they have bacon?" Karlo let out a loud laugh and rolled his eyes at his giant companion.

The next five days of work around town were none much better. Poor Barabas' dire shark head had begun to rot and as it was too late to salvage any sort of headgear from its remains, Karlo helped him fashion a neckpiece out of the beast's lower jaw and numerous teeth. He proudly wore the trophy against his bulky bare skinned chest. The week was going roughly for the group. They had earned just enough to pay for Peggy's hospitality. Everywhere they went accidents seemed to follow; a crateful of broken plates at a diner, a pet shop's entire inventory let loose into the streets, even a cathedral's outhouse catching fire. The latter of which resulted in an entire church congregation chasing them through the streets of town, torches and holy symbols in hand. The angry mob surrounded them at every turn. When they saw no other alternative, they quickly ran past the Broken Wave and dropped a small sack of gold in the doorway, enough for rent. Just north of the small in, Barabas used his greatsword to cleave a whole in the wooden wall for the three of them to escape through. They could hear the shouts and calls of the mob not far off, and so they fled deeper into the forest. Finally, they came to rest in a sunlit glade, taking refreshment from a small pond there. They each in turn splashed the cool water on their faces, making the pond's surface shimmer and quaver. When the shimmering stopped, Drazheen noticed an odd reflection opposite of his own in the water. With a start he jolted upright, realizing that what he had seen in the pond was actually a tall stranger standing on the parallel side of the pond, facing them. The strange figure was clad in a grey cloak that hung like thick fog around his long body, and upon his face wore a bizarre mask in the shape of a raven's head. The unsettling mask was split in the middle; the left half painted gold and the right black as night. The small druid could spot no eyeholes in the mask which made it all the more odd to him. "W-w-who are you?" stuttered the kobold. His two companions turned to see whom he was addressing and reacted in a similar fashion. A deep voice echoed breathily behind the mask, "I am a messenger, performer, hand, and blade. It would seem though, that you are in need of some luck gentlemen. It just so happens, I may have some to spare."


	5. Chapter 4

**4**

The three companions looked to each other and, reaching for weapons, assumed defensive stances. Karlo's curiosity got the better of him. He stood straight and gestured for his friends to relax. "Let's hear him out" he said calmly. The stranger chuckled lightly. "A hobgoblin that wouldn't attack first. It is a pleasure to be surprised I must admit" he stated flatly. Not moving from the opposite side of the small pond; the stranger continued, "I have been watching you, gentlemen. I must admit you do have the worst luck, but then again, mayhap that's just the right people doing the wrong jobs. I have heard you speak of a great journey you still have ahead of you. I'd like to finance this journey. For perhaps in the future, you could return the favor in some small way. I know of an island not far from here, with a name long forgotten. There is a large treasure hidden on this island ages ago by the _Prince of the Sea_, Trant Eragor_. _He was known to be paranoid of betrayal so it is said he had half his crew work to hide the great treasure, and had the other half kill the workers so they could never tell the secret location. I have discovered the location of this treasure and now I would like you gentlemen to go there and retrieve it. The treasure you find there should sustain you on your journeys and you may find yourself one step closer to the one you search for. He finished by clasping his hands together and they could feel a smile was hiding behind the raven mask. The Half-Knots turned to huddle together and discuss the proposal.

"Tons of treasure? A free trip? Let's do it! I'm sick of squabbling about with these insufferable townies" pushed Drazheen. "Treasure! Fun!" whispered Barabas excitedly. Karlo stared blankly at the other two. "Doesn't this seem just a little too good to be true? A _free _trip? Some weirdo knowing all this stuff about us? I don't like it and I feel like we'd all surely end up dead or worse. Shouldn't we at least find out this guy's name first?" Karlo rattled off the questions. "You could be right" conceded Drazheen. The kobold broke the huddle and turned around, "What's your name anyways stran-." He cut his quiery short seeing that the masked figure had disappeared. A ripple in the water caught Karlo's attention. A small wooden boat floated across the water, it's small wake sending waves across the pond. It beached itself on the shore at Drazheen's feet, a small envelope resting between its miniature masts. Drazheen reached down to grab the envelope and after peaking inside, handed it to Karlo with a grin and swashing of his tail. Karlo cautiously took the envelope. Peering inside, he saw three round trip tickets reserved for them on a private charter boat. "Well," Karlo said with a lopsided grin, "it would be rude to turn down a gift right?" The other's nodded and smiled. "The tickets say we sail at dawn. Let's see if we can convince Miss Peggy to put up with us for one more night and bring us more meat pies." Drazheen and Barabas started back towards town and chatted about what they'd spend their treasure on. Pausing to scan the other side of the pond for any trace of the masked stranger, Karlo scowled. _Still doesn't seem right to me._ Failing to see any proof the masked individual was even there, Karlo turned and headed back to the Broken Wave.

Karlo peered in through the small hole they had cut in the fence earlier. The streets were empty. The sun had just set over the forest and the only sound in the air was the chirping of insects. Two minutes later they were walking through the front door of the inn. Peggy was shuffling about the dusty room on her stumpy legs. Had the three friends not known she was blind, they would have guessed she was just another innkeeper making her rounds in her lobby. She stopped when the door opened and pushed her useless glasses up the bridge of her bulbous nose "Is someone there?" Barabas answered this time, "Can we have more meat pies and sleep in basement?" She kept shuffling about the room, "Of course you can boys. Just go on down to your room and I'll bring you down some home cooking." The three companions walked around the building and into their cellar room once more. "Barry miss Peggy tomorrow" muttered the half-ogre. Drazheen concurred, "I hate to admit it but she is rather _accommodating_" he said as if unsure of the word's meaning. Karlo simply nodded silently. The group went over their weapons and gear, making sure everything was in proper order for tomorrow. Drazheen found a razor and helped Barabas shave his head and trim his short beard. "I'll never understand how anyone can stand to have this fur on their bodies and heads all the time. It's just wrong" he shivered. The cellar doors opened and Peggy plodded down the steps, tray of plates in hand. The golden brown crust and savory smell of meats quickly made all three residents salivate. "Here you go boys, a nice hot meal. May it warm your bellies as well as your hearts. Is there anything else you'll be needing?" she asked, her dwarven accent slight but noticeable. Karlo's unhidden head turned towards the blind innkeeper, "Miss Peggy I'm afraid we don't quite have enough money for both food _and _beds tonight. Sadly, we must decline your delicious cooking." The dwarf guided a plate into his hands dangerously, her hot plates terrifying him as she blindly shoved it towards him. "Just pay me what you _do _have and we'll call it even. You boys have made me feel youthful again and given me good reason to cook much more. Fine dwarven cooking often goes unappreciated in these parts" she admitted. The hobgoblin handed her his last two gold and thanked her. She let herself out and closed the doors. The party shortly after went to bed for a good night's rest before their early departure.

_Karlo walked the market streets clad in his black vest, bull whip at his side. People knew the whip, feared the whip. Well, they respected the whip; it was his wrath they were truly afraid of. He had garnered a reputation for being notoriously brutal to any slave who defied him, and that reputation had helped him climb from slave driver, to Master. Two thousand slaves worked and toiled under his lash. It wasn't numbers that accomplished great works though, it was obedience. He commanded that obedience, took it by force when he needed to. Not three weeks ago they had begun construction on a new stronghold for the Broken Spear tribe, the most feared and populous hobgoblin tribe. Karlo was proud to be part of that tribe. He was proud to serve the tribe as Master of Slaves and be the driving force behind such great works as this. He grinned maliciously at the cowering townsfolk, the masses parting before him to let him through. He was admiring a weapons dealer's wares when he was suddenly bowled over, a cloaked figure falling alongside him. He stood up quickly and with a roar brought out his fearsome bullwhip. He raised his hand to strike the fool who dared knock him over when the sight before him stopped him short, a slender face, rosy cheeks and plump lips, hazel eyes that shone like diamonds. The beautiful human woman before him did not scream, did not cry; just stared up at him pityingly. He lowered his raised whip slowly and his jaw slackened. He had no words, and what felt like no strength in his body. His heart pounded in his chest, harder and harder. _He bolted upright in bed with a gasp, grey skinned head sheening with sweat.

It was still dark out. His two roommates snored loudly. He swung his legs off his bed and sat with his head in his hands. _Fuck me. I have to do something about these dreams._ He eyed the whip resting two feet from him and sighed. He donned his black serape and stepped out into the night air. It was cool out, and beads of moisture began to collect on his poncho. He turned his head to the sky. The stars were out and the sky was glowing with aurora. The _Lover's Sheet _they called it. He never understood the reference. He pulled out his tinderbox and tobacco and rolled himself a smokestick. He took a slow drag on the smokestick and exhaled slowly, the hot air and smoke leaving his body in a cloud around his head. He lingered there in the street, staring at the aurora, thinking on his fate. _Just a little longer. A little longer and I'll change what you did. I'll have you back._ He looked to the eastern horizon and saw the predawn glow warning of sunrise. He flicked his smokestick into a small puddle in the road and turned to wake the others. _Better get this party started. _

The companions gathered their belongings and said their goodbyes to Peggy, thanking her earnestly for her kindness and hospitality. She handed Barabas a small wooden crate. "Some snacks for the road" she said with a wry smile. Barry picked her up with one hand and hugged her too tightly to his chest. "Oof!" she grunted. He set her down with a pat on her large beehive of hair. The three walked outside and Drazheen stopped short saying, "You two go on. I'll catch up." With a shrug the two others walked on towards the western exit from town. Drazheen took a deep breath and muttered an incantation, his form shrinking and elongating. He slinked into the inn and rubbed himself against the dwarven woman's short legs. "Fluffles! I was wondering when you'd show up!" She bent down to pick up Drazheen. He purred contentedly as she scratched under his chin and petted his orange coat. "Go on now Fluffles, I have very many guests to take care of today. He lept down from her arms and turned to see that the keys that were taken from the room hooks were all sitting in a box under her counter. _Seriously we could've slept in an actual bedroom? _He grumbled an unhappy meow and slinked back out the door. Once outside he reverted to his original state and bounded off after Karlo and Barabas. He passed a sign noting there was a dock to be found on the Northwest side of the island.


	6. Chapter 5

**5**

The three friends stood atop a hill and looked down the length of the road to the ocean shore. Their gazes scanned the small docks there until they settled on a massive vessel, laden with three large masts and numerous men running around on its large deck. Panic set in when they noticed it was leaving port amid the sun's first rays coming over the hill. "Hey wait!" shouted Drazheen as the three set off sprinting down the hill. " Drazheen, fly over and convince them to wait for us?" requested Karlo mid stride. "Yeah, cuz a bunch of brine-brained humans are gonna listen to a kobold that magically showed up on their ship" uttered Drazheen sarcastically. The group slowed with groans at the realization that there was no way to stop the impressive galley. The three friends stood at the end of a long dock and sulked. Suddenly a small figure appeared beside them, "Ehhh she's big but she'll draw too much unwanted attention from the beasts in the sea." The three companions jumped in surprise and almost fell off the edge of the dock. They turned to see the short bent figure of an elderly gnome, pointed ears and unkempt long white hair showing under his wide-brimmed hat. He was clad in a brown leather long coat and wore a flintlock pistol on his hip with a thick cutlass hanging from the other. He was miniature and frail-looking but something in his eyes shone of years of hard life on the open seas of Pelagia.

Karlo's hands instinctively went to the knives at his sides. "There'll be no need for that boy'o" laughed the gnome. "Captain Plink's my name, and _that_ is where your ship is" he said pointing across the water to a small barnacle encrusted schooner that was previously hidden from sight by the large galley. The ship clearly had seen better days and listed slightly as if it was taking on water. "The _Harpy_ _Queen_. You'll never find a more seaworthy vessel nor one that'll love you back quite as much." Karlo released his weapons and stood calmly. "We have tickets for a round trip to an uncharted island. Can your vessel safely deliver us to and from the destination?" asked Karlo diplomatically. Plink gestured for them to follow him as he walked round the dock towards the schooner, "Aye' she'll take ye to the ends of Pelagia if ye are so inclined; though I've not the patience to indulge in such a fanciful trip for ye." Barabas rubbed his arms self-consciously, "Barry sink boat. Too big." The gnome sailor sized up the half-ogre with his wrinkled eyes and finally shook his head. "I've hauled in loads of stinkweed that weigh more than ye, ye walking mountain. Now get aboard and let's be on our way" said the Captain as he shoved them over a wobbly gangplank onto the ship. He cast off the ship and turned to them as the schooner drifted out to sea. "I've got three rules aboard the _Queen_. Rule number one, I'm in charge. Rule number two, no jumping into the water or throwing things overboard. Rule number three, I'm in charge. If ye have any questions please refer them to the first mate. And seeing as there is no first mate, ye can kindly stuff it." After setting the ship on a South-Westerly bearing, he showed the companions the galley room and their bunks and left them alone for the now sunlit day.

As the ship sailed past the south side of the island; Drazheen could see clearly from this angle the large reef their arriving ship had crashed into, bits of debris still floating trapped by ropes and strips of cloth. He grimaced at the wreckage and walked into the Captain's wheelhouse. The gnome stood there, hands on the helm and eyes staring out the small window into something beyond sight. "Hello Captain" greeted the kobold. The elderly gnome simply inclined his head and said, "Hello traveler. Storm's a'brewin." "The kobold peered out the window at the cloudless sky. "Uhhh okay. How long have you been sailing the Belt exactly?" Drazheen asked skeptically. Plink replied, "I've been on these seas since before ye were born. I bought the _Queen _twelve years before the war ended, used to run Northern guns to the South. Good money too, though in hindsight it wasn't enough for the hellish times I sailed through." Drazheen's jaw dropped. "But, but, but… That'd make you at least 90 years old!" "Aye. Ye've never met a gnome have ye, traveler?" chuckled the sailor. The druid stalked up to peer closer at the old man. He squinted his slit reptilian eyes at the sailor and finally nodded. "What was it like during the war? Did you have any adventures? How did you survive?" The kobold peppered Plink with questions. The seaman shook his head. "Those… those were darker days. No amount of words would explain to ye the fear and anger that nearly engulfed Pelagia in those times. Needless to say I'm still alive and stand to be for many more years still. This ship," he gently caressed the helm, "is what got me through it all. She'll see you safely to your island." Drazheen nodded and bowed, and left the Captain in peace.

The party spent the next week and a half working aboard the ship, rather than relaxing as they thought they would. Scrubbing decks, cooking meals, maintaining the sails became their daily life. Sailing was becoming their temporary profession, the only moments of peace being the fishing for meals off the stern of the schooner. Throughout that time; the Captain had stayed silent, save for ordering commands or answering trivial questions about life at sea. Always the gnome stood at the helm; looking beyond the horizon, as if that were possible. On their twelfth day at sea, the sky darkened and the wind picked up. The three companions woke from their sleep to the sound of thunder booming through the ship. They sprinted above deck to the wheelhouse, rain pelting them as soon as they ascended the small stairs. Karlo looked to the sky, dark clouds swirling and thick sheets of rain as far as the eye could see. Bolts of purple lightning illuminated dozens of dark shapes scattered throughout the ominous dark clouds. Each long shape was massive in size to be seen from such a distance. He burst through the door to the wheelhouse, howling winds following him in. Rain dripping down his bald head, he panted "What's happening? What are those shadows?" Lightning cracked the sky outside and it's purple light cast the side of the gnome's grim face into harsh contrast. His features were set in a fearsome scowl as he turned and said, "Cloudbreakers."

"What on Pelagia is a _Cloudbreaker_?" asked the terrified hobgoblin. The Captain turned back to look out the window, "Tis a great beast of the sky. Massive creatures who follow the clouds and prey on highflying birds that fly therein. In my life I've only seen them a handful of times. Each can be four or five times the size of a whale. Ye don't want to be anywhere near when one falls out of the sky. I hear their bodies produce gas that makes them light; but when one dies, the full weight of it comes crashing down like a meteor. When they gather in large numbers like this the gasses in their bodies cause storms and heavy rain. You and your pals had better get below deck. This'll be a rough one." Karlo's grey face turned pale white. He pulled his poncho tight around him and walked back on deck. Barabas and Drazheen were staring at the shapes moving through the clouds. Each was a long cylinder with a wide back end, almost a cross between wings and a tail elongating at the rear. That was the most they could see at this distance. The winds whipped about them and a large wave crashed over the side of the ship as Barabas said, "Funny clouds move faster." Drazheen and Karlo exchanged glances and the hobgoblin gestured that they should all go down to their cabin.

A few minutes and a short conversation later Drazheen said, "I love all the beasts of this world, but that doesn't mean I'm not scared of dying by one." Barabas frowned and asked, "Can't Cloudbreakers just play later?" The three of them spent the rest of the storm in the cabin, feeling the storm ravage the ship. More than once they felt the floor give way beneath them as they were thrown about the room. When the storm died down the three friends slowly ventured upstairs. The glass windows of the wheelhouse were all shattered and glass was scattered around the main deck. Pushing open the door to the wheelhouse they found the limp form of Captain Plink slumped over the helm, hands tied with rope to the large wheel. Barabas ripped the ties and lifted the small form of the sailor and layed him out on deck. His skin was pale and soaked through and his breathing was short and shallow. Drazheen got onto his knees and kneeled over him. Through the remaining dark clouds in the sky bright clear light had begun to poke through. Drazheen muttered an incantation and held his short staff aloft over the gnome. A pale green light began to emanate from the staff and poured down into the gnome's body. He took a sudden deep inhalation of air and some color returned to his sagging cheeks. Drazheen sighed and wiped his clawed hands, "He should be fine now. Let's get him something hot to drink." Over the next few hours they nursed him back to consciousness. "Thank you travellers, but it'll take more than just a little rain to kill me. Let's weigh anchor and get some sleep." With that the four of them went to their cabins and slept.

They each woke up the next morning and set to business as usual, though clearly the Captain had a cold he was failing to hide well. After two more days of sailing they spotted a mountainous island. The island was almost six miles wide by their guess and covered in jungle and mountains. "There it is; your nameless island" pointed Plink. He sailed the _Harpy Queen_ to the east side of the island and pulled the schooner into a small sandbar-enclosed bay. He weighed anchor and lowered a small rickety rowboat for them to use. The companions gathered their gear and descended into the rowboat. Plink handed Karlo a small folded piece of paper saying, "Open this when you reach the shore, and only then." Karlo nodded confusedly. The Half-Knots rowed to shore over the crystal clear waters and pulled the rowboat far onto the beach. They turned around to the _Queen_'s direction and saw the schooner sailing out of the bay. Karlo hurriedly opened the note and read:

_ It was nice meeting ye travellers. I appreciate yer work on my fine vessel and your care after the Cloudbreakers. I understand yer reservations were for a round trip to and from this island but I've taken others here before and none returned. So rather than waste my time and yers, I'll tell ye; this is a cursed place and ye most likely won't be returning. I shan't be waiting for ye and I wish ye well in yer ventures. Good luck. _

_ -Captain Luidious Plink_

He read the note aloud to his comrades and then crumpled up the note and threw it into the sea. "Well we're fucked once more boys." He turned to the sea and muttered, "Fair sailing, old man." Barabas waved fanatically at the schooner and shouted, "Goodbye Captain Plink!" They were stranded on a nameless island in the middle of the Belt.


	7. Chapter 6

**6**

The three of them sat on the beach for some time considering what their next plan of action was. Finally Barabas brilliantly offered, "Why we not look for people?" It was so simple it had never occurred to them that other people might be stranded here too, scrambling together some sort of life. The three of them gathered their packs and marched off the beach into the thick underbrush of the island jungle. They often had the feeling that they were being watched as they struggled over thick ropey tree roots and through curtains of moist vines. A feeling of nervousness came over them as the hours wore on. It was as if the island itself was offended at their intrusion. Karlo's sneaking suspicion they were going in circles was confirmed by the repeated siting of his knife marks on nearby trees. "Time for a change of tactics" the hobgoblin grunted irritably. "Drazheen, use your hoodoo and see if you can get us out of this before were strangled by these things" he said as he brushed aside another layer of vines. Drazheen grinned maliciously. "What's wrong Karlo? Can't tough out a little stroll in the bushes?" asked the druid snidely. He cleared his throat and rubbed his hands together. "Let me ask my friends here where the locals live." He laid his small hands on the nearest tree roots and hummed something unintelligible and every insect in the forest suddenly went silent. The lack of noises around them made them instantly uncomfortable. The chittering, clicking, and buzzing of insects had been so loud they hadn't realized they were yelling to be heard amongst each other.

The few seconds of silence felt like an eternity to them. It was as if time had slowed down and the very air between them was hesitant to stir. Slowly, as if from a distance, a low rumbling began to build. At first it was a low hum barely perceived, and then it began to grow in pitch and volume. They felt as if something massive was coming their way and both Karlo and Barabas turned to run when Drazheen grabbed their arms to halt them. The wave of sound crashed among them in an explosion of life and activity. Butterflies, moths, and beetles of all sorts took to the air around them in a storm of wings and sound. Ants, centipedes, and grasshoppers surged around their feet. Insects of every size and color swirled over them filling every inch of their vision, then suddenly poured away back into the forest and it was as if nothing had happened. Karlo and Barry's hammering hearts and beads of sweat were the only evidence anything had happened. Drazheen moved a few feet from them and bent to knock on a tree root. After a moment a massive purple beetle with glowing yellow glands slowly crawled out from under the tree. It clicked its large mandibles at Drazheen and the kobold inclined his head reverently towards the immense insect. The beetle looked as large as a boar and as old as a tortoise, by their best guesses. Drazheen backed away from the beetle and the beetle slowly walked away from them into the underbrush. Drazheen turned to the others and grinned, "Come. He will show us the way." Barabas and Karlo exchanged shocked looks. They both shrugged simultaneously and walked off after the slow-travelling beetle.

"What _is _that thing?" Karlo asked the druid in hushed tones after a few minutes of walking. Drazheen snorted derisively, "That _thing_ is a wise and noble beast, an elder spirit of this jungle. You should respect and fear him. He is much stronger than he looks." Barabas yelled excitedly, "Is tastier than looks too?" Karlo and Drazheen stopped in their tracks to stare at the half-ogre slack-jawed. Drazheen walked over and cracked his staff against the fighter's shins. "Apologize!" he ordered. Barabas turned towards the beetle and sulked. "I'm sorry mister beetle" he said sheepishly. The beetle clicked its mandibles irritably and continued walking through the dense jungle. The three friends marched after the insect for another two hours in silence, the pressure of the forest air weighing down on their minds. Drazheen's constant glaring at Barabas was as sharp as daggers. Barabas trudged on sulkily not understanding what he did wrong. _Big bug good food. Everyone know that. Drazheen not like food?_ _Maybe Drazheen not know how good bug is! _He reached back for his greatsword as Karlo whispered kindly, "I wouldn't." Just then the jungle cleared and they were on the precipice of a large cliff. A waterfall's lip roared one hundred feet to their right, and another cliff sat sixty feet across from them.

The beetle turned to them at the edge of the cliff, clacked his mandibles at them, and then lumbered off back into the dense jungle. Drazheen smiled giddily, "That was so cool! He says we just follow the water upstream and we'll find others like us." Barabas scratched his head, "Other Half-Knots?" "I'm not sure there are others _quite _like us Barry. Besides, I thought this island was supposed to be abandoned or something" stated Karlo. "We don't have any other leads and Drazheen trusts the bug so let's go with that." Drazheen glared. The three of them walked north past the lip of the waterfall and walked along the river's rocky shore, rapids running alongside them. The farther north they went the more the river calmed until it was quiet and they could hear the creatures of the forest once more. Karlo put his hand on Drazheen's small shoulder, "This must be about as good as it gets for you huh? No civilization, beasts and bugs and nature galore. That's pretty great right?" Drazheen nodded, "It's true. This is a magnificent island and the field of life here is large. I still sense an old hostility though. Not everything on this island is beautiful, or friendly." Karlo nodded with understanding. "Well let's make camp here for the night eh? Fresh water, open sky, and no vines trying to tie us up while we sleep; about as good as we'll get so far from Miss Peggy's" Karlo laughed. The three of them unpacked their worn bedrolls and set them in a triangle around a flat dry patch of rock. Barabas and Karlo began looking for firewood under Drazheen's watching eyes. "Don't cut any plant for fire, only use that which was given" the kobold had gravely told them. They found several large tree branches and heaps of dried out vines, perfect for kindling. They assembled their wood and struck flint to set the pile ablaze. They warmed themselves by the fire's light as the sun went down over the forest. As was tradition, Barabas entertained them with one of his countless stories from his arena days, though often his limited vocabulary caused him to stagger. Still, his gory stories were thrilling to hear.

_The portcullis rose slowly. He could already hear the crowd cheering and stomping in excitement of the gore soon to come. The bright light outside blinded him temporarily as he walked into the arena. The hot sun beat down on his broad shirtless shoulders, the dusty dirt of the arena swirling around at his booted feet. The crowd's raucous cheering doubled at the site of the mountainous warrior. His tan skin was covered in scars both faded and freshly red. In their eyes, nothing could kill this half-ogre monstrosity of a man. He was the only one who knew that his ribs were still healing from being broken just over a week ago by the ferocious Manticore. He looked about the sunlit arena but could see no evidence of what he was to slay today, only red patches of sand from dried blood and tattered bits of cloth from the previous fights. The names of Zorndyka's arenas were famous throughout the world, and the arena in Sinlear was a rising star among those names. To the Zorndykans; any arena would do. But the gladiators were like shooting stars, both a wonder to behold and short lived. A portcullis began to rise from the other end of the 100 feet wide oval arena. The crowds roaring died down to a murmur as they waited to see what beastly horror would emerge. A small dark figure emerges from the shadows. The crowd cries again but not in excitement but outrage that the arena's master would offer up such a puny contestant against the impressive gladiator. The arena's master stepped to his lofty dais in the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, we all know that a single tiny drop of poison can be as deadly as a cruel axe to the neck. So let us see who will win: the axe, or the poison?" The crowd was put to silence. Then suddenly, as if it dawned on all of them at once, there was an explosion of cheers and applause. The master gestured for them to begin and sat in his ornate cushioned chair. The half-ogre kneeled and bowed his head as was custom to his master. The shadowy figure did no such thing, instead bolting straight towards the warrior. His black poncho billowed in the wind behind him as he flew like an arrow towards his target. He took the fighter by surprise, leaping through the air to plant a two-footed kick straight into his hulking chest just as he was rising from his kneeling. A dark hood hid a grimace of sympathy as the shadow pushed off the behemoth and landed on the ground. The fighter staggered back and with fury raised his massive double axe. All four blades of his deadly weapon swirled through the air, each sharp enough to remove any head from shoulders. The fighter charged the smaller shadowy figure, axe heads coming down for the killing blow. The shadow swiftly bent to the side and dodged the blow. The other end of the double axe nearly cleft him in two as it swirled from underneath to strike him unaware. The cloaked one knew that a single blow would mean instant death for him. He was seemingly weaponless, save for the keen edge that was his mind. That weapon, unknown to the crowd, was secretly at work carving out a plan. The shadow was surprised to see that the gladiator was fairly fast, his height and girth barely working against him. Still the cloaked hobgoblin knew who was faster. With a spinning leap in the air the shadowy one arched his back over the deadly blades of the double axe. Every blow barely missed the shorter figure. The muscular half-ogre was bounding down on him like an unstoppable flood of blows. He had to end this, fast. The shadow took a bold risk and reached out a grey skinned hand from under his poncho to grab the shaft of the double axe and used it's momentum to swing himself up onto the back of the fighter. He wrapped his legs around the behemoth's thick neck and clung on for dear life as the angry warrior swung around wildly. He leaned down and whispered into the fighter's ear, "You don't have to kill me. I don't want to kill you. They want you dead Barabas. They wanted that manticore to eat you up. Look at them. See how they enjoy your pain?" The half ogre dropped his axe and reached behind him to rip the smaller figure off his shoulders. He pried the shadow off his neck and threw him violently across the arena, his black cloak blowing the dust into the air as he slid several feet upon impact. The exertion of reaching behind his neck so violently shot pain through the fighter's body and he knew his healing ribs had cracked again. He doubled over in pain and tears welled into his eyes. Through his blurring vision he could see the crowd cheering and laughing at him, not one of them wearing a look of sympathy or worry. He stood up and charged at the shadow, his figure still sprawled out on the arena floor. He threw himself through the air and landed atop the grey skinned figure, his weight placed so as to not crush the smaller combatant. He swung his legs over the shadows body and began raining bare-fisted blows down on his face. With each blow the crowd clapped and cheered. The shadow's bruised face began smiling up at the gladiator, a knowing look in his eyes. He knew the half-ogre was pulling his punches, putting on a show and causing minimal damage. He got up and lifted the cloaked body, throwing him far and hard across the arena towards the side of the arena master's seating. The shadow deftly tucked his body in under the cloak and lessened the impact of his landing while seemingly crashing into the dirt of the arena. The crowd went wild. The half-ogre slowly walked over to pick up his double axe on his way towards the shadow. He stopped just short of the body, standing with axe raised, looking questioningly towards the arena master. The master stood from his seat and said, "Wait!" He grinned maliciously and reached into a box beside him. He withdrew a circular object wrapped in cloth. "Use this instead" he said as he threw it down to the fighter. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, the suspense killing them. The fighter unwrapped the package and held in his large hand a thick coil of dark leather; a Slave-Master's whip. The crowd roared and called for blood. The half ogre looked down at the beaten body of the shadow. He winked and handed the whip to the shadow. The cloaked figure stood quickly and said, "Now! The gate!" The fighter turned and with a loud groan of effort threw the immense double axe whirling through the air towards the arena master. The deadly weapon cleaved through 6 people before coming to rest halfway through the master's bejeweled chest. The shadow and the gladiator raced towards the nearest portcullis, together strong enough to lift it from the ground and escape under it. "This way," called the shadow, "I have an escape route planned. Get ready. There'll be more fighting and less killing soon."_

Barabas yawned and lay down beside the fire. "And they live happy ever after." Drazheen sat on a rock slack-jawed in amazement. This was the first time he had heard this particular story. Karlo; resting his head against a log near the fire, grinned and pulled his poncho's hood up over his bald head. He whispered to himself as he fell asleep, "Hopefully, but we're not there just yet."


	8. Chapter 7

**7**

The morning dew had dampened their blankets by the time they awoke around the still smoking remains of their campfire. The three stretched and yawned and shuffled around the campsite collecting their belongings. The morning was overcast and a thick fog lay across the island. They could see no more than thirty feet ahead of them. Even as they followed the river North, the fog refused to yield to them. Barabas grew nervous at his lack of vision. Karlo could do little to calm his large friend. Drazheen said, "There are some flowers that only bloom in such thick fog Barry. It is as natural as the sunny sky and the ocean tides." Barabas bent down and plucked a flower from between the river's rocky shore. He pressed it hard against his bulbous nose and inhaled deeply. "Flowers huh? Fog not so bad I guess" Barabas smiled at the Kobold. Drazheen grinned broadly and squinted up at the half-ogre. Suddenly a loud cracking noise and the thunderous booming of heavy footsteps were heard to their right.

Breaking from the tree line charged a massive beast. Over ten feet tall, the ape-like creature ran at them on short legs and long trunk-like arms. It's small head was adorned with two short stubby horns and two long thick tusks protruding from its slobbering mouth. The beast came charging at Barabas with a roar and changed course at the last second, backhanding Drazheen with it's strong arm. The kobold's body flew thirty feet across the river, skipping like a stone across the surface. Barabas roared back and drew his greatsword. Karlo pulled out a knife and ran to left of the beast and attempted to flank it. Barabas charged towards the beast swinging his massive blade in a horizontal chop. The sword slice met the beast's thick hide with resistance but managed to cut it sending a spurt of blood into the air. The beast turned towards him and reared up on it's short legs. It beat it's thick hands against its chest and brought both hands down on his shoulders driving him to the ground. Barabas' legs gave out and he landed on his back with a loud "Oof!" The beast held him pinned to the ground and bared its yellow teeth drooling on his face.

Karlo saw his friend get pushed down before he was in position to take the beast down and hastily threw three knives from his waist through the air. The first and third thudded into the beast and bounced to the ground but the second pierced three inches deep and drew a long stream of blood down the beast's back. The beast cried out and let go of Barabas and rounded on Karlo. The beast charged towards the hobgoblin in a fury. Karlo's eyes popped open, "Oh shit!" He tumbled between it's legs just before the beast would've trampled him into dust. Karlo regretfully could now tell the beast was _definitely_ male. Barabas sat up and wiped the saliva from his face while coughing from being partly crushed. He had trouble getting up due to the wheezing struggle of his lungs. The beast cast his eyes left and right to see where the rogue had disappeared to when roots suddenly burst from the ground and began to entangle his legs. He stamped his feet but could not escape and could not turn around to see the drenched form of Drazheen crawling from the river; glowing staff raised in hand. Karlo took the advantage and climbed up the hairy beast's back, using the knife there as a handhold. He made his way to its thick neck and buried two daggers in its flesh on either side of it's head. The beast cried out and reached back to grab the rogue just after Karlo kicked off and flipped through the air to land in the tall grass to the beast's right. The beast reached down and ripped the roots up with it's powerful hands. It turned and saw Barabas finally standing, sword in hand. The two of them began sprinting towards each other roaring as they did. Barabas raised his sword for a lethal chop but was too slow and was trampled by the beast, it's sharp tusk skewering his shoulder. Drazheen took a moment to shake out his wet clothing from the shore and then muttered an incantation and pointed his knotted wooden staff at the monster. Suddenly bees shot out from the end of the staff as if from thin air and swarmed towards the beast's head. Their small stingers were only effective on his soft tissue such as his eyes and ears. The furious beast was blinded and swatted uselessly at the swarm. The distraction proved long enough for Barabas to recover from the previous blow. Karlo popped out from the tall grass. A whip crack rang out through the air and the large beast crashed to the ground, its legs pulled out from beneath it. Barabas flourished his greatsword and brought it down with a crunch into the beast's skull. The large body quivered for a bit and then lay still. The party gathered around the corpse and panted, trying to recover their stamina.

Karlo turned to the dripping form of Drazheen, "What the hell was that thing?" Drazheen shook his head and said, "I've no idea. Whatever it was, it's dead now. Look at my clothes! I expect you'll be paying for replacements Karlo." Karlo ignored the comment and stared down at the dead beast, he spotted a burn mark on its neck. It appeared as if someone had branded the monster. Barabas came over and shoved the beast's corpse with his boot. "Very dead," said the warrior. "Sit down you oaf," whispered Drazheen. "Let me take a look at that wound." Barabas squatted and plopped on the rocky shore and crossed his legs. Drazheen stood on the fighter's legs and peered into the gory hole that the monster had put into Barabas. "How bad is it?" asked Karlo overlooking the scene, whip still in hand. Drazheen shook his head and clicked his teeth. "Could be worse, could also be _not_ a nasty wound." Drazheen hopped off Barabas' lap and found a wide stone on the shore with one side hollowed out. He went to the river's edge and filled it with water. He held a hand over the stone bowl and muttered a quiet incantation. The water in the bowl began to glow blue with an inner light. He took the water and poured it slowly over the half-ogres bloody wound. The water hit the wound and instantly began to turn into steam that obscured the three friend's vision. Barabas screamed in agony. Karlo held his arms tight lest he accidentally lash out at the small druid. After a good ten seconds of thunderous screaming, the water ran out and the steam began to clear. The wound had closed up and there was no blood to be seen, though a ghastly scabbing and scarring covered the hole's area. Karlo whistled quietly in admiration. "I'll never understand the things you do, druid. But I'll never say they aren't fantastically handy." Drazheen was bent over with his scaly hands on his knees, panting. "I tell you…. _Wheeze…._ I've done my…. _Wheeze_… Fair share today…. _Wheeze…_ I'm beat…." Barabas poked the scabby wound and grinned. He reached over and scooped up the kobold for a bear hug. The kobold had no breath left in him to be crushed out of him. Some two dozen tropical birds cawed and burst from the canopy of the forest and flew away. Karlo rounded on the forest, ready for another terrible beast to burst forth.

Slowly strolling out of the forest was a wide line of almost thirty humans, clad in dirty leather tunics and cloth pantaloons. Every one of them was armed; from cutlasses and clubs, to flintlock pistols and katanas. Two of them stepped forward, identically dressed southern twins. "Well brother, I guess we know what was makin' all that ruckus!" said the left twin. "Indeed, a few sad folk have become lost on our island!" laughed the right twin. Both twins had shaved heads tattooed with mirrored images of dragons that seemed to face each other when the twins stood side by side like this. They both walked around shirtless, baring their scarred chests. Each of them wore a katana and wakizashi. Between the scars, weapons, and tattoos; Karlo read the message: _Don't fuck with us._ Karlo hissed under his breath, "Pirates." "It would only be courteous of us to shelter these lost sheep" said the twin on the left. "Tis' true brother. What would father say after all?" said the right twin. The left twin contorted his face, hunched over and changed his voice to a deep rhasp, "To shelter one's enemy is honorable. To cut down a grazing beast is to murder one's soul." Both brothers laughed raucously and immediately after the other pirates laughed at the imitation. "Please welcome our guests gentlemen" ordered the right twin to the rest of the pirates. The pirates drew their weapons and slowly advanced on them. Barabas stood up and grabbed his sword from the beast's now stinking carcass. Karlo drew three knives from a pocket under his poncho and held them ready. Drazheen stepped forward, dropped his staff and put his hand's in the air. "Nope… _Wheeze_… Not doin' it… _Wheeze…_ I surrender. Not doin' it." Karlo and Barabas stared at the Kobold in disbelief. "Gods damn you Drazheen!" hissed Karlo. Only then did he see how fully drained the druid was. Even if the three of them were at full strength they were probably outnumbered. Surrender was the lesser evil compared to death. He looked up to Barabas and nodded sadly. They both groaned and released their weapons. They dropped to their knees and put their hands up in the air. The pirates bound their wrists with rope and held them at sword point. "Good choice fellas. I'd hate to gut you unarmed. No fun in that" laughed one stinking pirate; body odor and rotting teeth disgusting to behold. The three friends were poked and prodded with weapons into marching into the jungle heading north-west. Many of the pirates seemed drunk or on some hallucinogen, though the two twins leading the way seemed to be clear of mind and know exactly where they were headed. The other pirates simply followed suit, ever deeper into the jungle. Karlo noted each of these things for later use with a devious shine in his eyes.


	9. Chapter 8

**8**

After almost an hour of marching through thick tangles of jungle the three captive friends and their captors exited the tree line. The site before them was a spectacle to behold. Ancient ruins of some sort sprawled out in front of them; the size of a small city. The majority of the buildings seemed collapsed but enough remained for this to be a formidable shelter for many people. Large tan stone columns and walls lined the tiled stone streets, most of them cracked or encased in vines. Huge statues of muscular beings decorated the roads as they walked by; time and weather obscured any facial detail on each. To Karlo's eyes; the statues seemed somehow familiar, though he could not place exactly where he'd seen them before.

The caravan of bodies trudged through the streets noisily. Drazheen nodded to Karlo in the direction of evidence that the pirates inhabited this place. Broken bottles and garbage lined the streets with increasing frequency as they approached a large building. Barabas walked along in silence, fear ever-present on his face. As they neared the building they noted other pirates inhabiting the nearest buildings. Of these buildings, the one that stood out seemed to be a makeshift tavern. The tavern was filled with the sweating bodies of humans: drinking, gambling, and fornicating publicly with the wenches that so often accompanied the criminals of the sea. To Drazheen this was absolutely disgusting. To Karlo and Barabas this was an ill-omen of the type of society they would encounter. A good third of the pirates escorting them shambled off to the tavern or to other places unknown. The Twins and the rest escorted them up the stairs of the largest building. It appeared to be an old temple covered in vines but no less glorious for the aging it had suffered.

They passed through the stone columns of the temple and entered a large open space lined with more large statues and lit by both sunlight and low, fiery braziers. The licking flames cast shadows across the statues features, making their size and poses strong and intimidating. One hundred feet into the room sat an oversized throne, with a bent figure occupying it. The human figure in the chair should have seemed miniscule in comparison, but the ornate carvings of the throne had an almost magical effect on him. The elderly man in the chair was dressed in a definitively southern dark blue kimono and sash. To Karlo, it was obvious that this was a powerful man and not one to be underestimated for his old age. What unnerved Karlo about the man was that he sat alone in the temple, not one other pirate or guard anywhere in sight. The group stopped at a distance of forty feet to the throne, the guards forcing the Half-Knots to their knees. The Twins continued on slowly to a distance of ten feet and bowed deeply and respectfully. The man in the chair waved his hand slightly and both twins dropped to one knee, their heads remaining bowed. The twins spoke in unison, "Captain, we greet you and honor you." The right twin continued, "We were out hunting and heard these creatures fighting. We investigated and found these three had slain a Marit." The left twin spoke up, "We know you have an interest in the Marit of the island and brought the three to you for your judgment." The elder pirate Captain looked on in silence for a few moments and then spoke quietly, "The ancients who built this grand temple are long gone. They were strong of body and mind, unlike their descendants. The ogres of this island are little in comparison with the small oni empire that ruled here in times past." Karlo and Drazheen confusedly looked back and forth from the statues in the room to Barabas. The half-ogre _did _have a strong resemblance to the oni statues lining the city. The musculature and sheer mass of them were only slightly more than their friendly ex-gladiator. "The oni used the Marit of the island as beasts of burden, battle, and cattle. Their mastery over the ferocious Marit is a long lost art to we who reside in these halls. I would have liked to taken the beast alive, though I suppose its corpse will offer some clue to their ferocious nature. I would have you question these three about the Marit and then we shall most likely sell them to slavers when they are of no more use to us. I will dispatch a crew to retrieve the body." He waved his hand in dismissal and the twins rose. They bowed once more and left the temple; along with Karlo, Drazheen, and Barabas. They were led a few buildings over and down through a cracked staircase into an old underground chamber of questionable stability. There were chains and manacles bolted to the walls there and the three friends were forced into them against their will. The twins and their captors left the chamber and shut the stone door, enclosing the room in darkness.

After two days of near starvation, interrogation, and frequent beatings; the Half-Knots were left alone in the room once more. "Drazheen you're sure that you can't cast some hoodoo and get us out of here?" Karlo asked in the darkness. Drazheen hissed back, "I'm no mage! Besides, I can't cast any spells when my hands are bound like this. You know that already." "How are you holding up over there Barry?" asked the hobgoblin. Barabas had already broken through his bonds and their pirate captors had laid him out on the floor and pinned him down with bolts and chains so that he could do little but lie there and breathe. "I'm stuck to the floor" grumbled the half-ogre. Karlo laughed grimly, "I know that Barry. But don't worry; I think I have a plan. These pirates should be done with us by now. They know everything we know about that creature we slew, and the only bit that was of interest to them was the branding on its back. They said that-" He was cut short by the blinding light of the stone door swinging open and a few of the pirates walking in. One fat bearded human walked up to him; bottle in hand, "Havin' a little chat are we now?" He punched Karlo square in the mouth, drawing a trickle of blood from his lip. "That ought'a fix that now." He and the other pirates laughed heartily. The rogue glared menacingly at the fat pirate in silence. "What? Nothing good enough to say back gobby?" asked the pirate. He took a swig of his grog and smashed the bottle over Karlo's head, covering him in glass and stinking grog. Karlo was chained sitting against the wall but his manacled hands could still touch the floor behind his back. "Leave him alone!" cried Barabas writhing under the chains. A pirate strode up the fighter and kicked him hard in the ribs, "Quiet you!" Karlo used the distraction to secret away a long shard of glass into the back of his pants. Drazheen hissed at the pirates, "You wait 'til I get out of here, humies. There will be no forest or sea to big enough to hide you from my vengeance!" the acoustics of the room had a terrifying effect on his small hissy voice. The pirates grew eerily silent for a moment. Then the fat one laughed and said, "Ooooh this one's got a big pair boys! I like him! Too bad we already find a nice Zorndykan slaver for you and your buddies here. Maybe I'll come back for a chat later pal." He kicked dirt in Drazheen's direction and all of the pirates left the room in darkness once more. In the dark, Karlo's mind ticked away, fortifying his plan. "You're a scary little druid you know that?" Karlo whispered to the kobold at his left. Drazheen chuckled contentedly, "I just thought it would sound cool all hissy like that. Did you smell the stink coming off that guy? He either never bathes or considers drowning himself in grog to be adequate grooming. I'll never understand some humans. Anyways, go on about these plans of yours." Karlo leaned in and whispered his plan, "So this is how it goes….."

Late that night the ground shook and the roof of the chamber rained down dust and pebbles from the ceiling. The three of them started awake from their sleep. "What was that?" all three asked at once. Another ten minutes of waiting in silence went by and the stone door swung open, revealing the shadowy silhouette of a fat human backlit by dim starlight. The figure was panting harshly and Karlo could see the sheen of wet blood on his clothes just before he shut the door behind him. "Oh gods. Oh gods, oh gods, and the wild sea what is happening?" cried the fat pirate quietly in the dark. Karlo whispered to Drazheen, "Plan B." Drazheen nodded in the dark. "Hello there! Good to see you again sir! I have an itch on my back and I just can't reach it. Could you help me out?" _Gods Drazheen do you have to lay it on so thick?_ The pirate sobbed quietly in the room. "Ummm good sir I'm really uncomfortable here. Could you help me out?" Karlo shook his head in irritation. _This will never work if he keeps it up._ The pirate sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve, "Oh uhh yeah sure sorry mate." He crawled over and began to reach behind the kobold. "Right here?" he slurred drunkenly. He began scratching. "A little to the right. No, my right" Drazheen directed. Karlo's jaw dropped slightly in disbelief. He darted into action. He swept his unbound legs in an arc and quickly pulled the human closer with them. He drew the glass shard from his pants and held the sharp point facing down and dropped his weight onto the neck of the pirate. The sound of the shard entering his thick neck was disgustingly audible in the dark room. The pirate's body twitched and jerked and then lay still. Karlo could feel his still warm blood spreading across the floor. He scooted the body around and pulled the key ring off the fat corpse's belt. He spent the next few moments trying different keys on the manacles behind his back. "Never underestimate the affect manners will have on strangers" Drazheen said smugly. Barabas called out, "What happened? Did it work?" Karlo's manacles popped open with a click, "It sure did work Barry. Let's find our stuff and get out of here." After a few moments the three friends were unbound and made ready to open the stone door. Barabas wielded the fat man's club; Karlo wrapped a belt around the glass shard as to not cut himself further. The stone door slid open to reveal the unguarded staircase and several barrels cast in starlight. Karlo lifted a lid to one barrel and peered inside. He exclaimed in whispers, "It's our stuff! What kind of stupid pirates put a prisoner's belongings right next to where they're kept! This is ridiculous!" Drazheen peered in and snatched out his ashwood staff, "Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth here. Their foolishness is our gain. Let's just get out of here." They each grabbed their belongings and discarded the club and glass shard. They ascended the small staircase to see that roughly a third of the buildings surrounding them were lit on fire and that several pirates lay dead in the streets. Bursting through a nearby burning building wall into the street was a huge skeletal figure. It turned its horned head slowly and looked at them through its empty eye sockets. By its horns and thick boned frame they knew it was one of the Oni portrayed in the statues; and burned into its bony forehead was the same brand they found on the Marit three days ago. The Half-Knots turned and drew their recollected weapons. Karlo moaned audibly, "You have _got _to be shitting me."


End file.
